James Wright

James Wright (8 May 1716-20 November 1785) was Governor of Georgia under Great Britain from 1760 to 1776, succeeding Henry Ellis and preceding Archibald Campbell.

Biography
James Wright was born on 8 May 1716 in London, England, and in 1730 his family moved to South Carolina during the Thirteen Colonies. Wright became the Attorney-General of South Carolina in 1747 and amassed land for his own plantation, and in November 1760 he would be sent further south to Georgia, serving as governor after Henry Ellis' resignation. New land and economy led to the growth of Georgia, and Wright's able administration prevented Georgia from siding with the patriots during the American Revolutionary War; the colony did not send any delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On 11 February 1776 he had to flee to the safety of the Royal Navy warship HMS Scarborough after the patriots rose up, and he would return when Savannah was held against the patriots in 1779. Ellis made several attempts to impose Crown rule over Georgia against the patriots until 11 July 1782, when he withdrew to England. He died in 1785 back in London.